Tuesday Talk with Dr. Dain
Dear Pirate Nation,
What a Weekend of Celebrations!
First of All….How ‘Bout Them CHIEFS! Oh my goodness! I am still not sure that my adrenalin has completely subsided or my resting heart rate is back to normal. HOLY MOLY, BAT MAN!
Now, I know that currently the Philadelphia Eagles are a 2-point favorite, but I can’t help to see the coincidence of the Super Bowl being played at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona! I mean, come on! You know who rolls with Jake from State Farm? Patrick Mahomes, Coach Andy Reid, and the infamous black marker, that’s who! While the LA Times is touting “It’s a Philly Thing”…I am picking our Good Neighbors every day of the week!
Secondly, I MUST send a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the Piper B-2 Stealth FIRST Lego League team!
This past Saturday Piper’s B-2 Spirit emerged victorious, winning first place out of 39 Teams at the Kansas City FIRST® LEGO® League Robotics Regional Championship! They will now compete on the World Stage (you read that right; the World Stage) in Houston Texas April 19 through the 23rd alongside teams from more than 110 nations!
Congratulations to coaches Adam Schack and Stephan Brumbaugh and the following students:
- Elizabeth Braithwaite – Piper Creek Elementary
- Zander Crittenden -Piper Creek Elementary
- Tori Crittenden - Piper Middle School
- Jensen Rentie - Piper Creek Elementary
- Jhett Rentie - Piper Creek Elementary
- Elijah Schack - Piper Middle School
- Jaden Schack - Piper Middle School
- Sahara Schack - Piper Creek Elementary
*Fun Fact: Piper Alum, Megan (Bauswell) Crittenden, was a part of the Piper 2008 Robotics Worlds team and now she is the mom of two students on the Piper 2023 Robotics Worlds Team! Such an amazing full circle moment!
On the home front, this weekend was my husband’s birthday, and all three kids were home under one roof for the weekend to celebrate! On Saturday we tried Rancho Grande Cantina for the first time (YUM!) and on Sunday we plowed through major pizza and laundry together while watching the Chiefs game. A great time was had by all!
Proud to be a Pirate!
Dr. Jessica Dain
Superintendent of Schools
Enrollment for the 2023-2024 School Year opens February 13!
Enrollment Process: All enrollment PreK-12 is done online. Please scroll down to find forms and instructions for either "Returning Students" or "New Students".
During online enrollment, you will be able to upload copies of various required documentation (i.e. proof of residency, birth certificate, Kansas physical and immunization records). If you do not have scanned copies, you may instead deliver a physical copy of these documents to your student's school. For instructions on uploading required documents, please click here. This year we will have a couple of different open enrollment days/evenings at each school to provide assistance for those who do not have a computer or internet at their home. More information to come on this.
Fees: 2023-2024 school fees will not be available for parents to pay until after July 1st. This allows families to apply for Free/Reduced Meals which will be available until July 1st. The $25.00 Pre-School enrollment fee can be paid by cash check in person at Piper Early Childhood Center, or with a debit/credit card which may be completed online. A list of fees can be found in a downloadable document below. The enrollment process is not complete until fees are paid in full. In the meantime, please make sure that all of 2022-2023 school year fees and all food service account balances are paid in full prior to July 1st.
Proof of Residency: Proof of residency at the time of enrollment must be provided for all new and returning students. Proof must be current (within the last 60 days). To see the current policy, please click here.
February Board of Education Meeting
The next Board of Education Board Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, February 13th at 6:00 PM in the CTE Library/Board Room. Community members interested in addressing the Board of Education should reach out to Board Clerk, Mr. Mitch Nutterfield, at mnutterfield@piperschools.us by Monday, February 6th.
COVID-19
We will continue to have COVID-19 tests available should your child become ill at school, and you wish to provide consent for them to be tested. If your child is exhibiting 2 or more COVID-19 symptoms, our nursing staff would highly recommend having them tested. As always, best practice is to keep your child home if they are feeling unwell.
Should your child test positive for COVID-19, we will be following CDC recommendations for exclusion. The date of the onset of COVID symptoms will count as day zero and your child will need to remain home for five additional days beyond the date of symptom onset. Your child may return to school as long as they are fever free for 24 hours without medication.
Upon return to school, your child will have 2 options regarding masking per CDC guidance. Option 1 is to wear a mask through day 10 following the onset of symptoms. Option 2 calls for testing on day 1 of their return and day 3 of their return. If both tests are negative, mask-wearing can be discontinued following testing on day 3. Please visit with your school nurse if you wish to pursue the testing option.